Sugar Land 12-year-old dines at the White House

Fifty-four health-conscious junior chefs joined Michelle Obama at the White House for lunch on Tuesday for the second annual “Kids State Dinner,” a product of the first lady’s Let’s Move! campaign.

Those in attendance were winners of the Healthy Lunchtime Challenge, a contest that gave children between the ages of eight and 12 a chance to create a healthy, affordable recipe that would abide by the MyPlate guidelines. The recipes were judged by a panel of tasters that included representatives from Epicuious, the Department of Agriculture and the Department of Education.

Before the main event in the East Room, the contest winners were given the opportunity to take pictures and chat about healthy eating with the First Lady.

“[Mrs. Obama] said that she’s really proud of us for making this happen and making a change in our diet and eating healthy,” said 12-year-old Devanshi Udeshi from Texas. Udeshi’s recipe for the Slam Dunk Veggie Burger earned her a trip to D.C., halfway across the country from her hometown of Sugar Land.

Each of the 50 states, as well as the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands and the Mariana Islands were represented at the nutritious meal, which included entries from the contest, like Bodacious Banana Muffins from Tennessee and Lucky Lettuce Cups from Utah.

“I’m just looking forward to every last minute of it,” said Brynna Robert, a 12-year-old from Louisiana and the mastermind behind the Sweet and Spicy Stir Fry dish.

Epicurious editor-in-chief Tanya Steel took the stage to tell the youngsters on “the ultimate field trip” how important their generation is.

“Know that you are leaders in this world already,” said Steel. “And to you, I raise an imaginary glass of refreshing, healthy water.”

Mrs. Obama also took to the podium to congratulate the winners, further emphasizing the pride that she and the other members of the Let’s Move! campaign felt toward them.

“You guys are phenomenal. We are so proud of you all,” she said.

Later on, Mrs. Obama came back to the podium for a few more announcements.

“Using your fingers is completely fine here,” she said. “The First Lady has said that it is okay.”

But that wasn’t the only thing she had to tell the junior chefs.

“There’s someone else here who wants to say hello. A dear, dear man in my life, the wind beneath my wings, who is just an awesome world leader, The President of the United States, Barack Obama,” she announced as her husband, President Barack Obama joined her on stage.

“You are setting up habits that are going to be great for your entire life, and you’re setting a great example for your classmates, and you’re setting a good example for your parents, who may not always be eating as healthy as they are supposed to,” Obama said. “Not only are you going to have a better life, but you’re also helping to create a stronger, healthier America.”

Singer Rachel Crow joined everyone in the East Room to serenade the winners and invited everyone up on stage to dance with her to her song “Lemonade.”

The afternoon ended with a tour of Mrs. Obama’s garden and a meet-and-greet with the White House kitchen staff. While the kids ran around the gardens and took pictures each other with the White House in the background, parents stood back to reflect on the memorable day.

“Oh, it was like a dream come true,” said Udeshi’s mother, Neelam Udeshi. “I really almost fainted when I saw the First Lady and the President. I was like, ‘This can really happen in my life?'”